John Paulson Pledges $100 Million to Central Park

Hedge fund manager John Paulson and the Paulson Family Foundation pledged a $100 million gift to the Central Park Conservancy Tuesday, the largest gift to any public park and one of the largest to any New York City cultural institution.

“It’s simply impossible to imagine what New york would be without Central Park,” Paulson, founder and president of Paulson & Co., said at a news conference announcing the gift.

A native of Queens, the 56-year-old Paulson attended Harvard Business School and started his company with his personal savings and contributions from family and friends.